xenonautsfandomcom-20200214-history
Harridan
The Harridan are described as the Aliens Engineers and Scouts, equipped with Jetpacks and long range weapons, making the Harridan a formidable foe to encounter, as well as a versatile one that can get to a good position to attack human targets. Incapable of higher brain function and slaved to their suits from creation, they are more of a creature to pity, it nonetheless must be respected. In-Game Harridans are found in mid-late game and are often found with Androns and Caesans. The earliest you can find them is on Landing Ships. The Harridan's are capable of using Jetpacks to allow them to gain a height advantage. Harridans are usually found using the high ground to their advantage. Coupled with their high reflex chance and high natural accuracy, this means anyone walking near a Harridan will usually draw deadly sniper fire from them. In addition to their exclusive usage of Alien Sniper Rifles and Alien Plasma Cannons this makes the Harridans a deadly foe. Great care should be taken when approaching a known Harridan. However the Harridans usage of high ground usually means they lack any actual cover. Meaning they can be easily cut down. Their advantage is using their main race, usually Androns, as a buffer. Autopsy Data A Harridan stands roughly 170cm (5 feet 7 inches) tall. They are mysterious foes, head and chest encased within an armoured shell and the rest of their body covered by a jumpsuit. They are delicate and slender in stature, with unusually long limbs. Armed with long-range weapons and a jetpack integrated into their armour, they almost certainly serve as the alien marksmen. The armour of this creature formed as much of the autopsy as the body itself, as we found much to suggest it was not designed to be removed. There is evidence of an advanced rebreather system in the helmet that, coupled with the jumpsuit, would allow the creature to operate in any environment up to a hard vacuum. A blood filtration unit in the chest actually forms part of the Harridan circulatory system, pumping the blood around the body whilst filtering out excreta and other waste products. The helmet includes powerful cameras capable of viewing almost the entire electromagnetic spectrum, giving the alien long sight ranges and excellent situational awareness. The jump pack integrated into the rear of the armour is effectively a miniaturised version of the same thrusters used on UFOs. The control system is a neural network - i.e. plugged directly into the creature's brain. This almost certainly allows them to operate their thrusters (and probably receive sensor information) subconsciously. I believe these creatures are actually the alien engineer caste; they are completely unaffected by a vacuum and can maneuver around in space using their thrusters, allowing them to work on the exterior of a spaceborne UFO just as easily as the interior. The alien beneath the armour bears some resemblance to a Caesan, possessing the same pallid grey skin, oversize black eyes and frail bone structure. A common ancestor is likely, but they have diverged significantly since - clearest in the lengthened forearms, drooping ears and bony spurs on either side of the creature's mouth. However, the largest difference is cerebral. The Caesan has an oversize brain with enhanced cognitive development structures; i.e. social hierarchies, memory recall, complex thought. The Harridan instead has enhanced structures in more basic areas; motor control, spatial awareness, visual analysis. It is an idiot savant, specialised into flight control and tool usage (unfortunately for us, a sniper rifle is ultimately just another type of tool). Interrogation The Harridan is by some distance the most relaxed of all our captives - indeed, I occasionally wonder if it is even aware of its confinement. The creature is sealed within an armoured suit that cannot be removed without killing it; our holding tank may be the lesser of two prisons. Performing analysis on the Harridan has been a frustrating experience. It seems largely oblivious to our existence, so attracting its attention and engaging it in evaluatory tests is difficult. Our conclusions so far support the theory that these creatures are savants, demonstrating remarkable manual dexterity and an exceptional ability to process visual / spatial information but little interest in any task that employs higher brain function. Perhaps they see warfare as a simple mechanical task, nothing more than lining up their weapons and pulling the trigger. They may not even be aware that we are living creatures (assuming they are able to grasp the philosophical concept of "life") at all. It seems these creatures are pitiful living tools, capable of limited emotion and little advanced thought. Ultimately this does not make them any less effective battlefield implements; they are still superb marksmen and have excellent sight ranges. In an attempt to even the odds, we have summarised the most vulnerable areas of the Harridan armoured suit in a document and issued it to your men. This should boost their damage against this species by approximately ten percent. Additional Information | |} Gallery harridanautopsy.jpg|Autopsy analysis_harridan.jpg|Live Captive Category:Aliens